


The Fourteenth (February)

by Terr



Series: The Fourteenth [1]
Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, nerd jokes, this is set on Valentine's Day but it actually has nothing to do with valentine's day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 06:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30017430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terr/pseuds/Terr
Summary: Chiara tells Ethan about a family tradition on the Valentine's Day.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Series: The Fourteenth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2208186
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	The Fourteenth (February)

“It is the Valentine’s day,” Ethan stated out of blue when Chiara walked into his office to drop off some charts.

The whole hospital was living in those hideous tones of pink and red, paper hearts and teddybears everywhere he looked.

It was worse than Christmas Eve.

“I am aware,” Chiara grinned, already turning on her heels to leave.

She has been busy, apparently and yet, Ethan couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“You are not going to mention it? Aren’t you waiting for a card from me, or a rose?”

Not that it would be something he’d like to do - there was no worse capitalistic holiday than Valentine’s Day. But if Chiara asked, well, a rose never killed anyone.

Chiara simply laughed at his questions, a rich, wholehearted laugh that bounced off the walls and then shook her head slightly before responding: “I do not celebrate the day.”

“Why?”

Ethan was genuinely curious, because Chiara was the woman that celebrated anything and everything.

“It’s-” Chiara sighed softly and took a seat behind Ethan’s desk, an indication that there was a story behind her decision. “It’s a family tradition. My dad was a lot like you in this matter, actually. He didn’t see a point in celebrating February 14. But my mom loved celebrating _anything_ , be it February 14 or 18, she didn’t care. She just wanted to celebrate.”

Chiara laughed at the memory and crossed her arms at her chest before explaining further. 

“And so my dad said we wouldn’t celebrate February 14 but rather March 14. Because March 14 is Pi Day.”

“Pie day? Like what, apple pie day?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, not sure why Dorian found celebrating a cake more appealing than celebrating love.

“No, like Pi, the constant. 3.14, a number that is infinite. Archimedes’ constant if you must. The Greek symbol _π_.”

Ethan nodded, _yes of course I know_ , and Chiara nodded too, satisfied with his mathematical knowledge and continued.

“As a man who talked about math and science for living, dad found it hilarious. Mom was just happy we celebrated something. And so dad would always come home from work on that day, the best apple pie in whole San Francisco in his hand and it would be our dinner. As a gift, all of us have gotten a terrible, nerdy Pi joke from him.”

Laughing softly to herself, she cleared her throat and imitated her dad’s voice: “’ _You know why you should never talk to π at the party? Because he’ll go on forever._ ’ or _‘What’s the animal symbol for today? A π-thon!’_ He would laugh at his own terrible jokes so hard he’d cry.”

Her own smile faltered around the edges as she finished and Ethan took her small, soft hand into his much bigger and much more rough one, drawing soothing circles on her knuckles.

“We don’t really celebrate it anymore. We just exchange a _Happy Pi Day_ message with mom and Alicia but that’s it. I don’t think I’ve had a pie in these last 7 years.”

She smiled at him again, although this smile was far from the one she wore only minutes ago, a strained, sad mask rather than actual joy on her face.

Ethan leaned over his desk to put a lingering kiss on her forehead and he knew he had exactly one month to find the best apple pie in Boston

**Author's Note:**

> I am sorry this is not even romantic or anything, I just wanted to laugh at something and nerdy jokes are my thing and somehow this drabble happened.


End file.
